Bernie Anderson '02
Senior Community Relations Director
NICOR Gas
Bloomington
Nicor Gas is one of the largest natural gas distribution companies in the country, serving more than two million customers in 641 communities in the northern third of Illinois.
As community relations director, Anderson’s responsibilities involve maintaining quality relationships with elected and appointed officials at the municipal and state levels. He also manages franchise contracts and serves as a spokesperson for the company.
Anderson has spent his career to date at Nicor. He accepted his first position with the company immediately upon high school graduation and has been steadily promoted to positions of increasing responsibility. While a full-time employee, Anderson earned his business degree from Illinois State University.
Peter Borowski '74
VP & Corporate Controller
COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services
Bloomington
COUNTRY was founded in 1925 when a group of Illinois Agricultural Association members developed an organization to provide fire and lightning insurance. Crop, auto and life insurance were soon offered. Financial services, including retirement planning, estate planning, investment management, and annuities have been available for more than 35 years. COUNTRY has 3,600 employees and more than 2,000 agents who serve about one million households and businesses throughout the United States.
Pete Borowski has served as vice president and corporate controller for COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services since May 2003. He joined COUNTRY in 1974 after earning his accounting degree from Illinois State University. Borowski is a CPA and is certified as a National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) Financial and Operations Principal.
During his career Borowski furthered his insurance education and completed the course work necessary to earn the insurance designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). He serves as chairman of the board of the Illinois Insurance Guaranty Fund.
Willie Brown '73
Retired Executive Vice President
State Farm Insurance
Bloomington
State Farm® insures more cars than any other company in North America and is the leading U.S. home insurer. The company’s 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve more than 75 million auto, fire, life, and health policies in the United States and Canada. State Farm also offers banking, annuities, and mutual fund products to its customers. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. The corporation is ranked No.22 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies.
As executive vice president and member of Chairman’s Council of the State Farm Insurance Companies, Willie Brown has executive oversight for Creative Services, Administrative Services, and Enterprise Services. A native of Bloomington, Brown has spent his professional career at State Farm, rising steadily through the ranks. Along the way he earned a number of insurance designations including CLU, CPCU, and FLMI. Brown remains very active in public service. In 2005 he was inducted into the College of Business Hall of Fame.
Kevin CarrollM.B.A. '89
Vice President - Energy
GROWMARK, Inc.
Bloomington
GROWMARK is a regional farm supply and energy cooperative serving customers in nearly 30 states and Ontario, Canada. In 2011, the Bloomington, Ill. based organization recorded sales of $8.6 billion.
Kevin was named Vice President, Energy in 2008. GROWMARK’s energy business includes sales of refined fuels, lubricants, and propane.
He received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois, and in 1989 he received an M.B.A. from Illinois State University. He joined the GROWMARK System in 1985 as a Financial Analyst and has held various positions including Treasury Operations Manager; Manager, Energy Operations; Director, Business Analysis & Research; and Region Manager in GROWMARK’s Western and Northern regions. Prior to joining GROWMARK, Kevin was a grain and feed ingredient merchandiser in Omaha, Nebraska. Kevin and his wife Tammy have three grown children.
Kevin is currently a director for MID-CO COMMODITIES, INC., UPI, Inc., GROWMARK Foundation Board, GROWMARK FS, LLC; Seedway, LLC, Mid-America Biofuels, LLC and a member of Illinois State University Management and Quantitative Methods Advisory Council.
Mike DeWalt '80
Director
Caterpiller Investor Relations
Peoria
Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines and a range of related services. In 2006 sales and revenues exceeded the $41 billion mark.
Mike DeWalt joined Caterpillar in 1981 and has an extensive background in financial reporting and business analysis at the company. He has worked in a number of Caterpillar businesses in Illinois, California, Northern Ireland, and England. Prior to becoming the director of investor relations, DeWalt was the director of strategic investments and led that team supporting Caterpillar’s activity in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and alliances. DeWalt completed Caterpillar’s Advanced Management and Executive Programs at the University of Michigan.
Andy Drendel '72
Senior Vice-President & Market Trust Director
U.S. Trust - Bank of America
Chicago
Bank of America is one of the largest financial institutions in the world serving approximately 59 million consumers and small business relationships with more than 6,000 retail banking offices, more than 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than four million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries.
With his solid background in fiduciary practice, trust administration, taxation and business management, Andy Drendel has supervisory responsibility for a team of highly skilled professionals located in Illinois and Michigan. The team, and Andy himself, deliver fiduciary products, investment management services, comprehensive financial planning, tax consulting and wealth transfer services to the highest net worth families in the United States.
Drendel came to U S Trust / Bank of America from a position as vice president, manager, and senior administrator in the Milwaukee office of Marshall & Ilsley Trust Company. Prior to his five years in Milwaukee, he managed the business development and administration officers at the First National Bank & Trust Company of Rockford. Starting his career in Peoria at The First National Bank of Peoria, Drendel received his Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers.
He has served two terms as president of The Corporate Fiduciaries Association of Illinois. He is a member of the Chicago Estate Planning Council, is a life member of the American Business Club, and serves on various boards of civic and not-for-profit organizations.
Mike Emmert, '75
Managing Director-Disputes & Investigations Practice
Navigant Consulting, Inc.
Prepared for the rigors of the corporate world thanks to four years of ISU Rugby and his accounting degree, Mike Emmert began his career as an auditor and system design consultant for Arthur Andersen & Co. In the early 1980’s he formed a litigation consulting company and success has continued to follow.
Emmert has led complex consulting engagements for Fortune 100 companies including General Electric, Citibank, AIG, Caterpillar, Exelon, and Allstate. He provides accounting, finance and other areas of expertise to corporations and corporate law firms in the resolution of litigation, other business disputes or regulatory investigations. Mike has presented expert testimony in Federal and State courts. In addition to being involved in several of the large financial statement investigations of the last 5 years, Hurricane Katrina losses and other news-related matters, Mike has led multi-year client engagements involving hundreds of professionals and the resolution of financial claims and losses totaling tens of billions of dollars. Most recently, his client responsibilities have included the evaluation of billions of dollars of property damage and other business losses suffered in New York City as a result of the events of September 11, 2001.
Mike was the Managing Partner of Ernst & Young LLP’s Global Disputes & Investigations Practice. In five years he grew the firm’s domestic practice from $15 million to $130 million, while tripling partnership profitability. Emmert achieved these results by implementing unique marketing programs, branding campaigns, thought-leadership initiatives, integrated culture enhancements, career management and staff enrichment. Throughout this period the practice was named the Ernst & Young LLP Consulting Practice of the Year. Mike also led the expansion of similar consulting practices at the global level for the company.
Mike lives in Hinsdale with his wife, Jan. Their son Phil resides in Nashville. Mike is a member of the AICPA, the ISCPA, the Vanderbilt University Masters in Accountancy Advisory Board, and the Information Integrity Coalition, among other professional and civic organizations. He also serves as a Trustee and is the Treasurer of the Chicago Zoological Society.
Bryan Eovaldi, '86 M.B.A. '87
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
General Credit Forms, Inc.
Earth City, Missouri
Bryan Eovaldi currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for:
In this capacity he reports to the President and is responsible for all operating functions for the above companies, as well as maintaining a functional oversight responsibility for the information services group. Mr. Eovaldi is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and assists the President and Vice Chairman in all acquisition related matters.
Eovaldi earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate in 1986. From 1986 to 1995 he worked at Arthur Andersen & Company, LLC in their St. Louis office as the Audit Manager for a variety of Andersen’s customers including GCF and several Fortune 500 companies. Eovaldi also provided consulting services to these companies and others as a part of his regular audit activities.
A member of the Electronic Transaction Association, Eovaldi also serves on the Illinois State Department of Accounting Advisory Council.
Jackie Ferree, '83
Global Downstream Finance Manager
Chevron Corporation
San Ramon, CA
Jackie Ferree, '83 ACC is a Finance Manager at Chevron Corporation. Located in San Ramon, CA. Chevron is a global integrated energy company with over 62 thousand employees operating in over 180 countries. She is a member of Chevron’s Corporate Comptroller’s Accounting Policy and External Reporting organization.
Prior to her current position, Ferree was the Global Downstream Accounting Policy Finance Manager which consists of the worldwide refining, fuels, and lubricants marketing, supply and trading, and transportation businesses. She was also the Downstream North America and Global Finance Integration Leader for a $0.8 Billion worldwide project to standardize to one accounting system (SAP) and one global design for business work processes. Her twenty-five year career with Chevron includes transactional accounting, internal auditing, business performance analysis, and business planning positions. Ferree earned a double major in Accounting and Business Administration and passed the State of Illinois CPA examination in 1984.
Joe Glawe '76
Partner
Clifton Gunderson LLC
Peoria
Clifton Gunderson is a CPA and consulting firm ranking 13th in size among all firms in the United States. The company provides a full complement of accounting and financial consulting services to a wide variety of clientele.
Joe Glawe is responsible for providing audit and consulting services to clients in the manufacturing, distribution, construction, and service industries. In addition, he serves as a consultant and expert witness to attorneys in commercial litigation and business valuation matters.
Kenneth T. Glover '73
Retired ExxonMobil Executive
Houston
Mr. Glover retired recently after 35 years in Mobil Corporation, now Exxon Mobil Corporation. His career has covered a range of functions which included accounting/finance, strategic planning, global marketing, and senior line management positions in varying businesses which included specialty chemicals, mining, plastics, and petrochemicals. He has held positions in several USA locations and in Europe and experienced in international business.
Mr. Glover’s last assignment was President and CEO of Univation Technologies, a joint venture between ExxonMobil Chemical Company and Union Carbide Corporation, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. Univation is the world's leading technology licensing company to the polyethylene petrochemical industry and the largest supplier of related catalysts. The company's global activities are focused on innovation through leading edge R&D, licensing proprietary technologies, developing and selling related catalysts, and intellectual property rights. Nearly a quarter of the world's polyethylene is produced using the company's proprietary process technology across 25 countries.
Mr. Glover holds a B.S. in business administration from Illinois State University..
Ron Greene
President and CEO
Afni, Inc.
Bloomington
Afni Inc. provides customer interaction solutions for market leaders primarily in the communications and insurance industries. A privately held company, headquartered in Bloomington, Afni’s presence spans the United States, providing a tailored call center, collections, insurance, and debt purchase services to the nation’s leading companies. Afni has more than 4,200 employees in six states.
Ron Greene, a CPA, earned his degree from the University of Illinois. He has been with Afni since 1992 and has helped manage the growth of the company as it expanded the range of services and increased the number of facilities and employees.
In addition to his service to Illinois State University, Greene serves on the board of the American Collectors Association International and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce.
Ben Hart '95
Vice President of Corporate Services
Heritage Enterprises
Bloomington
Ben Hart '95 M.B.A. is vice president of corporate services for Heritage Enterprises. The company now operates 32 senior housing and long-term care facilities throughout Illinois and has four new properties in various stages of development. Hart’s responsibilities encompass three divisions: facilities, marketing, and new development.
He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and earned his M.B.A. from Illinois State University.
Karen Jensen, M.B.A. '86
President & CEO
Farnsworth Group
Bloomington, IL
Farnsworth Group, Inc. is a full-service engineering, architecture and survey firm with more than 300 employees located throughout a nationwide network of offices. In addition to traditional services, the firm provides cutting edge technologies, including LEED consulting and Building Commissioning. Farnsworth Group is ranked as one of Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms, with an in-depth portfolio of projects and a client base that includes farm communities, Fortune 500 companies and the Federal Government.
Jensen earned her degree in civil engineering from the University of Nebraska and an M.B.A. from Illinois State University. Prior to joining Farnsworth Group in 2002, Jensen served in various senior management roles, including president and COO for Environmental Science & Engineering, Inc. (ESE), a national environmental and engineering consulting firm.
As an active community leader, Jensen serves in board positions for a number of organizations including American Red Cross – Central Illinois Chapter, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce, Commissioner on the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria, OSF Saint Francis Community Advisory Board, and serves on the Society of Military engineers National Senior Executive Group.
John F. Kocher '87
Senior Vice President
MulitAd
Peoria
For more than 60 years, MultiAd has provided its customers with innovative solutions for the creation, organization, facilitation, and distribution of marketing content. Whether the client is a manufacturer, financial institution, retailer, newspaper, or publisher, MultiAd’s enterprise solutions are designed to help maintain brand integrity. The company’s capabilities include asset management, online document creation tools, marketing resource management applications, image and data libraries, desktop publishing software, sheet-fed and print-on-demand services, content distribution, and mailing services.
Kocher is senior vice president of the Kwikee Division which develops, manages, and distributes national and store branded images and data for advertising, promotional, and merchandising needs. His passion and vision for MultiAd Kwikee, coupled with his forward thinking, have produced innovative solutions for both manufacturers and the Consumer Package Goods’ retail trade community. Kocher’s contributions have been recognized with multiple awards from MultiAd. He was also elected as one of Peoria Area’s “40 Leaders Under 40” in 2001.
Community service is a central value for Kocher. He serves on the Advisory Board for the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate. He has been treasurer of the St. Jude Benefit Meet for the past 16 years and is involved in many fund-raising events benefiting the organization. Kocher has also been an active volunteer working on behalf of Easter Seals, American Red Cross, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, The Children’s Hospital of Illinois, Children’s Miracle Network, and many of the Catholic parishes in the Peoria area.
Chris Korsgard '84
Partner
Sikich LLP
Aurora
Sikich is one of the leading providers of professional services in the Midwest. The firm’s 250 professionals are based at six Midwest offices to serve middle-market businesses, governmental entities, and not-for-profit organizations. The company develops and assists clients in implementing strategic, operational, financial, management, and technology solutions to the most complex challenges posed in today’s global economy. Its Information Technology division focuses primarily on Microsoft products and services, including ERP and CRM applications. The Microsoft Dynamics software consulting team is part of the firm’s $15 million IT consulting division and is currently in the top 1 percent of Microsoft consulting partners in the world, with more than 1,000 clients including Illinois Tool Works and Caterpillar.
As a partner at Sikich Technology, Korsgard focuses on information technology (IT) consulting services. He oversees the business and financial (ERP) software team that designs, develops and implements technology solutions for companies across a broad spectrum of industries and organizations, including Caterpillar, Illinois Tool Works and Equity Group.
Korsgard began his career as an auditor with Price Waterhouse (PW) in Chicago, eventually transferring into the firm’s technology consulting division just as personal computers were beginning to penetrate corporate America. He left PW in 1989 to join Wolf & Company, a regional CPA firm in Oak Brook, where he became a partner heading up Wolf’s IT consulting area. In 1995 Korsgard co-founded Softbite Solutions with fellow Illinois State grad Kevin Smith. In 2002 the company merged with Sikich, a large regional CPA firm based in Aurora. Korsgard serves on several boards helping to advise Microsoft on the direction of their business software (Microsoft Dynamics) division and is also on the U.S. Board of the International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners (IAMCP).
Bob Lakin'74, M.B.A. '77
President
Commerce Bank
Bloomington
Bob Lakin ’74, M.B.A. ’76 is president of Commerce Bank, Illinois, which is one of the leading commercial banking institutions in Central Illinois. Commerce Bank has 17 locations in the Central Illinois area, and over 350 locations in the lower Midwest. Commerce Bancorp is a $20 billion regional bank headquartered in the lower Midwest.
For more than 140 years, it has been meeting the needs of its clients providing a diversified line of financial services, including corporate, commercial and personal banking, agri-business, wealth management, estate planning and investments.
In addition to his work with the bank’s corporate and institutional clients, Lakin is involved with numerous community organizations and boards. These include the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, YMCA, United Way, The Salvation Army, McLean County Chamber of Commerce and the ISU Foundation.
Kris Lutt M.B.A. '06
Advisor, Office of the Chairman
ADM Specialty Feed Division
Decatur
Kris Lutt is currently advisor, Office of the Chairman. This rotational, developmental position seeks to enhance ADM’s performance by coordinating the activities of the Company’s executive leadership team.
Every day, the 28,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) turn crops into renewable products that serve vital needs. At more than 230 processing plants, ADM converts corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. The Company operates the world’s premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60 countries. Headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, ADM had net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, of $69 billion.
Kris joined ADM in 2002 and previously served as general manager, Specialty Feed Ingredients. In this position, he was responsible for ADM’s global amino acid business, which includes sales offices in Europe, China, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Prior to that appointment he served as vice president, Corn Processing; and earlier as the general manager, ADM/LSI, a food-ingredient distribution network. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Nebraska and an MBA from Illinois State University.
Kelan Manning '86
Controller
John Deere Construction Equipment Division
Dubuque, Iowa
John Deere (Deere & Company - NYSE: DE) is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural and forestry equipment, a major manufacturer of construction equipment, and a leading supplier of equipment used in lawn, grounds, and turf care. John Deere also manufactures and markets engines used in heavy equipment and provides landscape and worldwide financial services. Since 1837, the company has extended its heritage of integrity, quality, commitment, and innovation around the globe.
As controller, Manning directs all financial aspects of John Deere’s Construction Equipment Division. This includes financial reporting, internal controls/SOX compliance,and financial analysis for 25 product lines designed and manufactured in various locations in the United States, Europe, and Africa. He is also a member of the division’s leadership and strategic planning teams.
After graduating from Illinois State University, Manning spent a short time in public accounting in Chicago. He then joined John Deere where he has held positions in all areas of finance and accounting including Internal Audit, Tax, Consolidations, International Finance, Business Planning, Financial Planning, Plant Controller, and Division Controller. Manning spent two years in Europe and Africa, and has also lived in eight different locations in the U.S. and Canadaduring his 20-year career with the company. Manning has a master's degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University, serves on the boards of directors for several organizations, and is an adjunct professor of finance and accounting at a private college.
Thomas Reedy '81
Executive Chairman of the Board
iTRACS Corporation
Thomas R. Reedy '81 ACC is Executive Chairman of the Board of iTRACS Corporation, a leading provider of converged physical infrastructure management solutions for businesses and service providers. Founded in 2000, iTRACS is based in suburban Chicago with offices in Phoenix and the United Kingdom. iTRACS has approximately 4,000 software server licenses deployed in over 40 countries and an extensive network of global partners.
Prior to joining iTRACS, Reedy was the Managing Director of Chicago Capital Markets for Wachovia Securities, Inc., where he was responsible for the company's Chicago office, including the equities, investment banking, research, municipal securities and taxable fixed income securities. Reedy, who earned his M.B.A. in finance from the University of Michigan, is a certified public accountant, certified managerial accountant, registered representative, municipal representative, municipal principal and general securities principle. He served a six-year term as a Presidential appointee on the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, part of the Smithsonian Institute. Reedy is active on the boards of several charitable and corporate organizations.
Michael Richard '75
Senior VP & Treasurer
McDonald's Corporation
Oak Brook
With more than 30,000 local restaurants, McDonald’s is the leading global food service retailer. Each day nearly 50 million customers are served in more than 119 countries around the world. Mike Richard joined McDonald’s Corporation in 1987 as director of financial accounting and reporting and rose steadily through positions of increasing responsibility. He was promoted to his current role in December 1999.
Previously Richard worked for 10 years at Arthur Young & Co., where he held the position of audit principal. He serves as treasurer of Ronald McDonald House Charities and as chairman of the McDonald’s Profit Sharing Plan Administrative Committee. Richard was inducted into the College of Business Hall of Fame in 2004.
Sharon Rossmark '78
Retired Assistant Vice President of Agency Distribution
Allstate Insurance
Sharon Rossmark is an innovative business leader with a thirty-year proven track record in the areas of sales strategy, implementation, change management, and process management.
She has extensive expertise in developing breakthrough strategies to drive revenue from independent contractor distribution systems. She is also the named inventor on six corporate patents. As assistant vice president of agency distribution for the Allstate Insurance Company, she led a $30 million division responsible for business support of the organization’s 14,000 exclusive agencies.
Rossmark led a cross-functional team to develop a turn-key process to reduce new agency expenses by 30 percent, which saved over $2 million in its first year. She also headed up the development and introduction of a new agency deployment model to strategically place agencies for market optimization. Rossmark is recognized for pioneering the establishment of Allstate’s first research and development location to serve as an enterprise resource and customer-facing laboratory to re-engineer, test, and evaluate new approaches to the retail insurance environment.
She is a past board member of the Allstate Foundation and is currently on the boards of the Sinai Health System and the College of Business Advisory Board of Illinois State University. She also currently serves on the Katie School of Insurance Board, the Oakton Community College Educational Foundation Board Investments Committee, and is a board member for the Chicago Human Rhythm Project.
Rossmark is a graduate of Illinois State University and holds a MBA from the University of Illinois—Chicago. Sharon and her husband currently reside in Northbrook.
Connie Fako Shoemake
Vice President for Smarter Cities and Economic Stimulus Initiatives in North America
IBM
Connie Fako Shoemake is IBM’s Vice President for Smarter Cities and Economic Stimulus Initiatives in North America. In this role Connie supports IBM clients, business partners and sales teams with US ARRA and NA Smarter City initiatives. Connie collaborates with IBM brands, industries and marketing team’s worldwide. Previously she served as Vice President, Public Sector, responsible for managing the Public Sector sales teams in the Central Region of the US, supporting clients and partners in the government, education, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries.
Connie is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Chicago Chapter of Women in Technology and the Chicago Executive’s Club. She is a former board member of the Illinois Technology Association and currently sits on the Chicago Mayor’s Council on Technology. She is a Board Member for the Chicago American Cancer Society and co-chairs the Cancer Advocacy committee for Chicago Cancer Society.
Connie has been recognized by several Chicago organizations for her interest and passion in leadership, mentoring and technology. In 2003, she was recognized by I-Street Magazine as one of the “Top 25 Technology Women in Chicago” and in May 2008 was recognized as a Business Leader by the Women in Technology International Organization for her technical leadership and mentoring excellence.
Kelley J. Smith '81
Principal
Kensington Realty Advisors, Inc.
Chicago
Kensington Realty Advisors is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor providing investment management and advisory services. Assets under management of $1 billion include multifamily, industrial, retail, student and senior housing properties.
Ms. Smith’s main responsibilities are the asset and portfolio management activities of the firm, including dispositions. Ms. Smith is also responsible for overseeing the financial management and accounting functions, and is the primary liaison with clients as to property operations and performance.
Prior to joining Kensington in 1992, she was associated for nine years with Catellus Development in Southern California and for two years with KPMG in Chicago.
Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Illinois State University and received designation as Certified Public Accountant. She is an active member in the Urban Land Institute (Chair of IOPC-Blue 2006-08 and current Chair of the Chicago District Council), Pension Real Estate Association, National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers and is past president of the Chicago Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Executive Women.
Michael Smith
President & CEO
State Farm Bank
Bloomington
State Farm Bank received formal approval for a thrift charter in November 1998 and focuses on consumer-oriented financial products, complementing State Farm's insurance focus on personal lines. A non-traditional financial institution, State Farm Bank does not have branch offices. The bulk of direct customer interaction and product assistance is provided by State Farm® agents, augmented by a telephone call center, mail, and the Internet. The bank has nearly $14 billion in total assets.
Mike Smith joined State Farm in 1997 as CFO-State Farm Bank and was promoted to his current position in January 2007. Prior to joining the company, he was a consultant with a large organization serving clients in the financial services industry.
Smith received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Michigan State University and became a certified public accountant in 1981.
Tony Sorcic '75, M.B.A. '76
Retired President & CEO
Citizens First National Bank
Princeton
Founded in 1865, Citizens First National Bank is a $1 billion community bank with professional, highly motivated employees who know the bank’s customers and provide individualized, quality service. Citizens currently offers a complete range of investment, commercial, and retail banking products and services through 21 offices conveniently located throughout North Central Illinois.
Princeton National Bancorp Inc. is the parent holding company of Citizens First National Bank. Since the formation of the holding company, seven acquisitions have been completed with the banks acquired subsequently being merged into Citizens First National Bank. Recently retired, Tony Sorcic provided strategic direction and management for the bank and holding company. During his 26-year tenure, Citizens has grown to be the largest agribusiness credit bank in the state of Illinois.
Community service has been a top priority throughout Sorcic’s career. As a result of his example and encouragement, his staff typically provides more than 12,000 hours of volunteer service each year. Sorcic has dedicated himself to assisting non-profits which he has an interest in. He also is working on establishing a Leadership Institute.
Keith Steffen '73
CEO
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
Peoria
Located on the bluff overlooking the Illinois River, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center is a major regional healthcare provider. A 580-bed teaching/tertiary institution, it is served by more than 700 physicians, has a Level 1 Trauma Center, and serves as home to Children’s Hospital of Illinois, a 127-bed hospital that includes neonatal and pediatric intensive care units and more than 60 physician specialists.
OSF Saint Francis Medical Center’s reputation is enhanced by its commitment to education. In-house schools include radiography, clinical laboratory science, histotechnology, and a dietetic internship program. The Saint Francis College of Nursing offers baccalaureate and master of science programs. The medical center has nine residency programs through the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria and is the clinical site for a variety of area colleges.
Steffen has been with OSF Saint Francis since 1980 in positions of increasing responsibility. He was named CEO in 1996. In 2003 Steffen achieved fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Win Stoller
CEO
Widmer Interiors
Peoria
Widmer Interiors makes great places to work, heal and learn. With offices in Peoria, Normal, and Champaign, Widmer Interiors is the premier provider of products and services in more than 30 counties in Central Illinois. Widmer is a distributor for Herman Miller, Kimball, HON, and many other manufacturers, providing private office furniture, office workstations, seating, and related furnishings from flooring to window treatments, classroom and conference product lines, and clinical and patient room products for acute and long-term care facilities.
Win received his degree in accounting from the University of Illinois in 1993 and an MBA in 1995, also from the University of Illinois. Prior to joining Widmer Interiors, Win worked as an auditor at Price Waterhouse in Peoria.
Win serves on the advisory board of the Salvation Army, and he has been a member of the Rotary Club of Peoria since 1998, serving as President in 2008-2009.
Dale Strassheim
CEO
Baby Fold
Normal
The Baby Fold is a multi-faceted human service agency that provides residential, special education, child welfare, and family support services. The Residential Treatment Center operated by the Baby Fold provides mental health treatment for children ages 3 through 13 with severe emotional and behavioral disorders who cannot be treated successfully in a less structured setting. Children served include those with severe behavioral disorders, psychiatric disorders, learning disabilities, and victims of abuse and neglect. Adoption is another core service of The Baby Fold that has continued throughout the agency’s existence. The Baby Fold has also received recognition for its ability to find adoptive homes for children with severe disabilities. Since 2001 it has offered international adoption services in response to the plight of homeless children around the world and the desire of local families to adopt these children. Hammitt Schools are a non-public-school alternative that serves more than 150 children and young adults who need a special learning environment.
As president and CEO of The Baby Fold, Strassheim effectively leads the agency in bettering the lives of children and families in our communities and state. The Baby Fold employs 280 individuals on four campuses in Normal and offers a variety of services to several thousand children and hundreds of families every year.
Strassheim has 35-plus years of leadership experience in healthcare and human service organizations. He has also participated in numerous community service projects including the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Board and the United Way of McLean County annual campaign.
Stefanos Venable '86
Managing Director
The Private Bank
Chicago
LTC Stefanos “Scottie” Venable is currently a Managing Director for The PrivateBank in Chicago in charge of all loan, syndications and capital market operations. After graduating from ISU in 1986, Venable worked for G. Heileman Brewing Company as an Area Sales Manager and also received his commission as a second lieutenant from the US Army Reserves. He later moved to Chicago where he became a broker and top sales manager hiring and training his own sales force for the CM Financial group.
After four years of developing his own brokerage business, Scottie began his MBA at The University of Illinois. While attending school at night, Venable became a Deputy Treasurer for Cook County, Illinois. After earning completing his graduate work Venable became a Vice President with LaSalle Bank in Chicago running financial operations. In 1999, LTC Venable was deployed to Kosovo. After completing his second tour of duty in December 2007, Venable joined Bank of America as a Senior Vice President as the organization’s lead for global offshore operations. This past September he moved to The Private Bank assisting in the start-up of commercial operations leading from an asset base of $4 billion to over $9 billion.
LTC Venableand his wife, Deborah have three children: Valeria-Jean, Joshua and Zachary.
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Donn Vucovich '85
President
Brokerage Shared Services & Brokerage Shared Services-Hub International LTD
Chicago
Donn Vucovich is President of Retail Insurance Services and Brokerage Shared Services for HUB International Limited where he oversees all aspects of HUB’s Retail Insurance operations, including platform development, business carrier relationships, expansion of the book and development of alternative sales and distribution channels. Vucovich works with existing field operations to coordinate and enhance delivery of capabilities across the business channel and also collaborates with carriers to leverage their business and transactional processing capabilities to deliver efficiencies and growth. As President of Broker Shared Services, Vucovich is responsible for all non-financial back office operations and processes that support employee and client transactions including: information technology, real estate, client services, payroll processing, and purchasing.
Mr. Vucovich’s prior experience includes executive management positions within corporations and consulting organizations. His most recent experience was Managing Director and head of Navigant Consulting’s Global Business Technology Solutions group where he helped Fortune 500 companies to align business strategy, operations, and technology investment. Mr. Vucovich joined Navigant in 2005 when they acquired his software and consulting business. He was a Group Vice President at CNA Insurance and was responsible for the Midwest Strategy & Process Insurance Practice for Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Mr. Vucovich started his career with Accenture. He holds a B.S. from Illinois State University and a M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Mary Ann Webb '78
Principal Partner
Sulaski & Webb, CPAs
Bloomington
A 2006 College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame honoree, Mary Ann Webb was the first woman to be admitted to partnership in a CPA firm in McLean County. She was named a Woman of Distinction in 1992 by the YWCA in recognition of her career achievements and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Illinois CPA Society and the Illinois CPA Endowment Fund. Mary Ann has shown tremendous support for Illinois State University with many years of service on various advisory councils, steering committees. She has also held leadership positions in the Redbird Club.
A long record of service to others is evident in Mary Ann’s community involvement. She has been a director of Citizens First Financial Corporation and Citizens Savings Bank and is currently a director of Main Street Bank & Trust. Mary Ann has served as President of the Children’s Foundation, Chair of the Workforce Investment Board, as Treasurer of the Bloomington Rotary Club, and as an officer of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. Other commitments include her work with the Chestnut Health Systems Board, Busey Wealth Management Board, Illinois CPA Society Endowment Fund Board, and Bloomington Public Library Foundation Board..
